QUINCY, Ill. (Feb. 17, 2016) — Titan International Inc. is threatening to sue importers of OTR tire/wheel assemblies for fraud if it can be determined they are avoiding paying import duties on the tires and/or wheels they import as mounted assemblies.
Titan's latest threat of action against importers of OTR tires comes a week after the U.S. Department of Commerce and International Trade Commission (ITC) initiated anti-dumping and/or countervailing duties investigations against certain OTR tires from China, India and Sri Lanka in response to petitions from Titan International and the United Steelworkers.
The ITC is scheduled to disclose its preliminary determination on duties on Feb. 19 and transmit its decision to Commerce on Feb. 22. If the ITC's determination is affirmative, Commerce will make a preliminary determination on countervailing duties on or about April 8, and on antidumping duties on or about June 22.
If the ITC makes a negative determination, the investigation will be terminated.
Titan CEO Maurice Taylor Jr. applauded the agencies' initial finding, calling it the “first step in this battle.